The person skilled in the art knows that nowadays most devices for drawing fuel in motor vehicles comprise an assembly constituted by a reserve bowl and an electric pump having its intake in the bowl. The electric pump is generally carried by the reserve bowl or by means connected thereto. Nevertheless, it is desirable to define connection means between the reserve bowl and the pump that are flexible and resilient, firstly to allow a certain amount of relative displacement between the pump and the bowl, in particular when the pump switches on and off, and secondly to avoid transmitting vibration from the pump to the reserve bowl and thence to the tank itself.
Numerous pump suspension devices have already been proposed for this purpose.
By way of example, reference can be made to the following documents: DE 27 50 081 (which discloses a suspension assembly comprising an open ring having internal studs); U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,787 (which discloses a suspension assembly comprising a cylindrical cage having axial tongues); EP 0 230 526 (which discloses a pump suspension assembly comprising an outer ring, an inner ring which carries the pump, and a plurality of arms interconnecting the two rings); EP 0 728 937 (which discloses a structure very similar to EP 0 230 526); DE 43 36 574 (which discloses a structure very similar to EP 0 728 937 and EP 0 230 526); DE 37 04 191; U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,063; FR 2 394 472; EP 0 131 835; U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,991; DE 37 14 307 (which discloses a suspension assembly comprising an open cage provided with rigid internal arms); DE 35 14 594; U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,155; GB 2 054 755; DE 27 35 917; and FR 2 740 835.